'Is this really okay..? Maybe I should just put it down…'

Fumino ran her brush through her ponytail for what was easily the tenth time in the past few minutes. Admittedly, she had considered dressing up as well, but against her better judgement, she had concluded that wearing a dress for a video call was likely overdoing it. Deciding to stick with the tank top and shorts that she had already been wearing, the girl was now under the heavy assignment of deciding what the best hairstyle would be for the night.

Needless to say, she was indecisive.

Though it was true that most of their phone calls had only been through audio so far, this was certainly not the first time that she and Nariyuki had decided to do a video call. In the span of their two year long relationship, the two of them had agreed to do one through LINE at least once a month during the duration of their school semesters. It was practically a routine at this point.

Yet even knowing that, Fumino couldn't stop her heart from racing.

The simple prospect of being able to see Nariyuki's face...even if it was through a screen; to her, it would always be a blessing, no matter how many times they had done it before.

She smiled fondly to herself, and in the next moment, a ring coming from outside the bathroom door forcibly brought her out of her thoughts.

'Ponytail it is.'

Fumino ran to her bed and reached for her phone enthusiastically, knowing exactly who the dialer was. She answered the call, but the face of the person she had been expecting wasn't present at all, and instead the screen was filled with a blur of brown hair, most likely from the camera being way too close to his head.

"Furuhashi..? Can you hear me?"

Fumino giggled at the introduction. It had been almost four years now since Nariyuki had acquired his smartphone, but even after all this time the boy still appeared to be adjusting to the features of the device.

It was endearing really.

"I can hear you, but I think your camera is a bit too close, Nariyuki."

"Oh..." With a slight rustle and movement on the other side, the boy's face quickly came into view, and a smile made its way to Fumino's lips at the familiar sight. "Is this better?"

She nodded. "Much. Can you see me?"

"I think so...how do I...make it bigger...Oh! There, now I can see you fully." He said. "I can also see the heft of snacks on your desk back there as well."

"H-hey!" She blushed, and changed her position so that her 'refreshments' were out of the camera's view. "Th-that's because I have my thesis due on Monday! I've been working on it non-stop, you know...They help me keep my focus..."

"Ah yes." He nodded before smiling playfully. "But it's fine, isn't it? Your brain needs sugar, so no matter how much you eat, the weight will equal itself out, right?"

She looked away with a pout.

"Y-you're teasing me, aren't you..?"

Nariyuki laughed through the phone, and shortly after a giggle escaped her lips as well. They continued with a few more minutes of their playful banter, until Fumino asked the question that she had been meaning to bring up from the start.

"How were your exams today? You had two in the morning and two in the afternoon, right?" Her smile turned sympathetic. "That must've been rough..."

Nariyuki chuckled light-heartedly. "Well...I'm alive now, so I guess that's something. Though I still can't believe that all four of them were on the same day...Honestly, I was so nervous that I wasn't really able to get that much sleep last night, but I think I managed to pass...hopefully."

"I hope so too." She said, a hint of worry tinging her features at the mention of his sleep deprivation. "Are you sure you're okay? Your eyes...you have bags under them..."

Nariyuki blinked at her concern before smiling softly. "I'm fine...I guess I have a slight headache, but it's nothing too serious." He assured her. "Nothing a bit of sleep can't fix."

Fumino nodded and her expression softened.

"I know how busy you've been these past two weeks, so you definitely deserve some rest. You better not bring your study materials with you on your family trip tomorrow..." She said chastisingly. "You always work too much when you should be having some time to relax…so make sure you spend some quality time with your mom and your siblings."

At the mention of the trip, the boy avoided eye contact. Not in the way that was abashed over her admonishing, but in a manner that appeared guilty.

She tilted her head curiously. "Nariyuki?"

"A-about the trip…"

The boy went on to explain the reasoning for his awkward silence, and Fumino's eyes went wide in response.

"Eh?! You have work tomorrow?! But Saturdays are your day off!"

It hadn't been long, but for the past two months, since the start of their fall semester as second-years, Nariyuki had picked up a part-time job at the nearby cafe they often went to in hopes of saving up for future housing expenses. In truth, he had also picked up the job to help support the family's finances, but that was something that he had only admitted to Fumino in secret.

Nariyuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "The person responsible for tomorrow's shift quit unexpectedly, so they asked me to come in to cover for her until they found someone new."

"What? But...that's unfair!" She argued. "How can they ask you on such short notice?"

"I know...but they don't have anyone else. I can't just say no."

"Well maybe you should quit too, then!"

"R-really?" The boy asked surprised, not having expected her to respond with such an aggressive answer.

Immediately, Fumino deflated with a sigh. "N-no...of course not. It's just...so sad. I know it's just a one night stay in Osaka...but Mizuki's been looking forward to this trip for quite some time…" She finished dejectedly.

"It's okay." He assured her with a smile. "Everyone else will still be going. I told them to still enjoy the trip without me. So don't worry, Furuhashi...Mizuki won't miss anything."

"She obviously wants you to be there too, you dummy!" She yelled with a pout, baffled by her boyfriend's cluelessness. "And how can I not worry?! What will you do for dinner tomorrow? Your shift doesn't end till nine!"

Nariyuki looked away awkwardly, unsure of the answer to the question himself. "I'll figure something out...I'm used to taking care of others, so taking care of myself alone for one night shouldn't be a problem."

Fumino couldn't help but be saddened by that.

"That doesn't mean you should have to…"

"W-what?" Nariyuki asked, failing to pick up on her words.

She shook her head dismissively. "It's nothing...I just wish they would have let you know earlier...you'll be exhausted by the time you get off tomorrow..."

The boy smiled fondly at her concern.

"It's okay...stuff like this happens, Furuhashi. I know it sucks, but don't worry about me, okay? I'll be just fine." He said, hoping to put the girl's mind at ease.

She looked to him with an anxious look one last time before sighing heavily, resigning herself from her sulking.

"I guess that means you have to wake up early tomorrow…" She said somewhat sadly. "I should let you get to bed then..."

"Huh?" Nariyuki blinked. "It's okay...I can still talk."

Fumino shook her head. "I would feel bad if I kept you up any longer. You need to get as much rest as you can." She then smiled softly. "We can't risk you sleeping on the job tomorrow, can we?"

His eyes widened briefly before he slowly nodded in agreement. "Y-yeah...you're right." He then looked at her apologetically. "Sorry Furuhashi...I didn't mean for our call to be so short today..."

She shook her head to assure him. "It's okay. We can always talk tomorrow after you get off."

"Right…"

Fumino smiled one last time before bidding him goodnight.

"Goodnight Nariyuki."

"Goodnight...Fumino." The boy's face was reluctant, and she giggled softly at his indecision to end the call. Deciding to spare her boyfriend from the painful task, Fumino hung up for him. Nariyuki's face disappeared from the screen, and in the next moment, all too quickly, silence enveloped her apartment room.

The girl was once again left alone to her thoughts.

She flopped backwards onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Seconds turned into minutes as Fumino contemplated the words from their conversation earlier.

'Don't worry about me, okay?'

She sighed and held her bed sheets tightly.

"As if I could ever do that…"

Her gaze shifted to her desk thoughtfully. She had only finished half of her thesis so far. Her plan originally was to commit the remainder of the weekend to completing it. That would be the appropriate timeline for the task. Trying to write out another ten pages in one night would just be ridiculous.

But…

It wasn't impossible.

With that thought, Fumino sprung up from her bed with a confident gaze and ran to her desk to get to work, a brand new motivation encompassing her form.

It was decided. She would complete her thesis and she would complete it well, all within the remaining hours of the night.

And so by tomorrow...

She would have more than enough time to pay Nariyuki a visit.

"Come on, Mizuki, weren't you the one who wanted to see the Osaka Castle? If we don't hurry then the lines will start to stack up!" Hanae warned.

The girl sighed, flopping face first onto the futon in the Ryokan room that they were planning on staying in for the night. She had been looking forward to this family trip for a good few months now, but now that they were here without a certain someone, she didn't quite have the same positive energy as she did before.

"Come on, sis!" Both Hazuki and Kazuki pulled on her arm pleadingly.

"I don't wanna…" She mumbled through the mattress.

Her mother shook her head in exasperation before taking the two younger children by the hand. "We'll wait for you at the reception desk. I know you wanted Nariyuki to come with us, but we're only here for a day, sweetheart. If you take too long moping, then we won't be able to do all the activities that you wanted to do."

She was silent at first, but eventually the girl grunted in acknowledgement, to which Hanae smiled in reply. Leaving the room with Kazuki and Hazuki, the door slid close behind the woman. Mizuki turned onto her back and sighed again.

She was being a lout and she knew it.

If she was perfectly honest, she had mostly gotten over it already. She was just petty, and the slight annoyance of their vacation not going fully according to plan put her in a sour mood. Nariyuki should've been here with them. Instead her precious brother was stuck at his job on a day that he was supposed to be off.

Hopefully he would be fine alone...though she wasn't sure what he would do for dinner. She couldn't remember the last time that the boy was left by himself. He was always taking care of the family in some form or fashion, and this seemed to be the first time where that wouldn't be the case.

'Must be lonely…'

Her phone vibrated from her pocket and brought her out of her lamenting.

Someone was calling her. Mizuki looked at the caller ID and blinked curiously at the familiar name.

She picked up.

"Fumino?"

"H-hey Mizuki." The older girl's voice came somewhat shyly through the speaker. "Did you guys arrive in Osaka yet?"

This wasn't their first time speaking over the phone. In fact, in the recent months, she had spoken quite a number of times with Fumino. Embarrassingly enough, it was mostly herself who went out of her way to call the older girl, often asking her for help on her japanese literature homework that she consistently struggled with. In return, she promised to help Fumino with whatever cooking requests she would ever need, so in that sense, they had a very interesting symbiotic relationship in play.

"Mm, we just checked in at the inn. Though honestly I just wanna go home…" She admitted with an exhale, and the older girl giggled through the phone, knowing full well what the reasoning was for her lack of enthusiasm. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"Y-yeah...actually...I was wondering if you could do me a favor…"

She raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly she could possibly do to assist the girl while she was miles away from home.

"What kind of favor?"

"Well...you see…" Fumino started nervously. "I was planning on stopping by your house later today...and I wanted to help Nariyuki take care of dinner since no one will be there after he gets off...so I was wondering if you could-"

"What?!" She interrupted hotly. "You're going to visit him when we're not there? A-absolutely not! Who knows what kind of indecent things you two will get up to! I bet you're just taking advantage of the situation to seduce him, aren't you?!"

"W-what?!" Mizuki could practically feel the older girl's embarrassment radiating through the phone. "O-of course not! I-I just wanted to help him take care of dinner so that he c-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She said dismissively. "I was just messing with you. I know you're not that kind of a person, Fumino."

"..."

At the girl's evident speechlessness, Mizuki couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"Well, what did you need? I thought you're more than comfortable with cooking by yourself now, aren't you? Though I guess you still have a long way to go until you can match up with me, hehe." She said teasingly, hoping to get another rise out of the older girl.

Fumino didn't bite however, and instead the girl continued seriously.

"Well...I was hoping you could send me the recipe for your rice omelette. You know...the one that you made me for that one time I visited?"

Mizuki blinked twice, taken aback by the strange request.

"Why would you want the recipe for that? It's way too simple...I only made it for you that one time because we didn't have any other ingredients. If your goal is to impress my brother, I can send you something that's a lot fancier, you know?"

"I know…" The girl answered softly. "But it's just that..."

"I know how much Nariyuki loves your rice omelette…I'm sure he loves all the things you cook...but he always looks a little bit happier whenever you or your mom make that particular dish for him..."

"Since you guys won't be here with him tonight…"

...

"I wanted to make something that reminds him of his family the most." She finished.

Mizuki was silent. The positions had swapped, and it was now her turn to be rendered speechless.

She felt a strange warmth spread throughout her chest; something along the lines of admiration and endearment. She always knew that Fumino was a wonderful person. It was part of the reason why she had been able to accept the reality of Nariyuki finally having a significant other in his life. Mizuki wanted the best for him, and he deserved someone that would make him eternally happy.

But she never would have expected it to appear before her in this way...where she would consider the feelings for his family so very thoughtfully...

And it simply reminded her...just how deep her love truly went for her brother.

It was more than she could put into words.

And quite truthfully...

She felt relieved.

Ending the long silence, Mizuki finally sighed.

"Sure...I'll send you it. Though to be honest with you, that dish was one of the first few dishes I learned when I first started cooking, so it's really not that complicated. I have no idea why my brother likes it so much in the first place."

Fumino giggled.

"As long as he's happy, then that's all that matters right?"

"..."

After another brief silence, a smile found its way to Mizuki's lips.

"Right. I'll send you the instructions right after this."

"Thank you, Mizuki!"

"Yeah yeah." She blushed lightly at the appreciation before her expression softened again. "And Fumino…"

"Hm?"

"Thank you…"

"For always being there for my brother."

Mizuki couldn't see her, but she could imagine the warm smile from the girl that Nariyuki had come to fall in love with so deeply, and she totally understood why. She truly was beautiful.

In many more ways than one.

"Of course..."

Nariyuki was exhausted.

And in pain.

It was quite possibly the worst combination of physiological states that he could've ended up with after leaving work.

Even with Fumino being kind enough to have ended their call early yesterday, he hadn't been able to find the sufficient amount of sleep, and as a result his headache had tragically developed into a migraine that had continued to worsen throughout the day. It didn't help that the shift that he had covered for was on a weekend, one of the cafe's busiest times.

Perhaps the girl was right. Even if she had been joking, quitting the job may as well have solved all of his problems. He would be with his family right now, enjoying the sights of Osaka, and he wouldn't be having this gut wrenching headache to worry about. The only downside would be that he'd be jobless. Which to be fair wasn't that imperative of an issue. It would just make his attempts in supporting the family monetarily, completely void.

Nariyuki sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had told Fumino that he would be fine for dinner, but he was honestly so out of it that he might just pass out as soon as he got back home. He was starting to wish that he had just headed to the girl's place after work to see her, even if it was a one hour train ride away. Just being able to see her in the slightest right now would be therapeutic.

He scoffed to himself.

'What am I saying? Fumino has her thesis to focus on...I'm sure she's trying her hardest right now too. I can't hold her back with these silly wishes.'

The thought of the girl working earnestly brought a soft smile to his worn out state

'I need to toughen it out. Just like her.'

A few more minutes of walking and Nariyuki finally arrived at the front of his house. He wasn't sure if they had any pain relievers left in their medicine cabinet, but he would just have to make do with what he could. He would make something for dinner; something that wasn't too demanding, and then finally give Fumino a call before heading to bed.

He slid the door open, and took off his shoes, going through the motions of his usual routine when entering his home. So accustomed to the act, he failed to notice an extra pair of footwear already sitting at the entrance. His headache was making discerning the details in his surroundings close to impossible.

Which was why it was no surprise that when he walked into the kitchen and discovered a person standing there by his stove, his immediate reaction was one of pure, unadulterated panic.

"AH!"

"AHHH!" The pepertrature cried out in return, apparently just as shocked as he was by the unexpected presence, but unlike him, the blue-haired girl had a spatula in her hand, and her initial reflex was to throw it at him, like any sane person would while caught up in their fear.

Thankfully, her aim was far but true and the object sailed over his head, hitting the wall behind him with a resounding clang. The two of them met each other's frightened gaze, and quickly, it mellowed down into one of recognition.

"F-Furuhashi..?"

"N-Nariyuki?" Fumino returned equally surprised. "Y-you scared me..."

He released a heavy exhale, relieved that it wasn't actually a burglar that had invaded his home. He bent down and picked up the thrown utensil off the ground and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "For future reference...I think it's best to not throw away your only tool of self defense so easily next time." He said with a chuckle. "Thank goodness you weren't holding a knife..."

The girl's face reddened in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry...I was so focused on making dinner that I didn't notice you coming in...I just threw it without thinking..."

He shook his head reassuringly. "It's okay...I was distracted too...I probably should've seen that the lights were on from outside when I was coming in, and thinking about it, I probably should've also seen your shoes at the-"

"Wait, why are you even here in the first place?!" His flusteredness rose to its peak as he finally seemed to grasp a hold of the situation.

Fumino merely tilted her head in response. "I just told you, didn't I? I'm making dinner."

"I see that but...I thought you weren't going to come back this weekend to focus on your thesis…" His eyes then quickly filled with concern. "You didn't...put it off just so you could come over, did you?"

The girl averted her gaze, abased. "I ended up being able to finish it last night..." She explained matter-of-factly. "After you told me that you couldn't go on your trip because of work...I wanted to make sure that I made as much time as I could today so that I could visit you."

Her expression softened.

"I didn't want you to be alone…"

"Furuhashi…" Nariyuki felt himself blush at the explanation, a part of him touched by her concern, but the other part of him ashamed that he had made the girl work so hard for him, even if he hadn't requested it personally.

"You didn't have to do that for me." He said somewhat sadly. "I told you to not worry about me, didn't I? "

"You did, but did you really expect me to be able to do that?" She returned firmly. He perked up in surprise, not having expected such a strong retort from the girl. Fumino then looked away, and her next words were accompanied with a heavy blush.

"All I ever think about half of the time is how you're doing...how could I not worry?" She said softly.

If it was even possible, Nariyuki found himself blushing even harder.

It was a very bold thing to say, as evident by the embarrassed expression on the girl's face, but to Nariyuki, his own redness wasn't from the admission itself.

It was from knowing that he felt the exact same way.

Back when Fumino had gotten sick, and he had visited her at her apartment when they had first started college, he had embodied exactly what the girl had just expressed. In the moments when she was suffering, the only thing that mattered to him was making sure that he was there for Fumino. Of course she would do the same for him.

Why was he so surprised by it?

He felt terribly disappointed in himself for feeling that way.

"Fumino...I-" He winced, unable to finish his thought. His head pounded painfully as he was reminded again of just what sorry of a state he was in presently.

Fumino rushed forward with a worried look.

"Your headache…"

"I-It's fine!" He tried in an attempt to ease the girl's concern. "It's not what it looks like…my headache is pretty much gone compared to yesterday..."

Fumino raised an eyebrow, unsurprised but also baffled that Nariyuki would attempt such a blatant lie when the evidence before him clearly suggested otherwise. Nariyuki felt himself cave under her intense stare. He would have to come up with something a lot more believable if he wanted to get past the girl's observant eye.

"Okay it's not entirely gone...but it's...better..?" He tried.

Fumino simply pouted harder.

He sighed, giving up.

"...it's a lot worse."

Happy that the boy was at least willing to admit his vulnerability in the end, Fumino let herself smile. She walked over next to where the short dining table was and sat on the matted floor.

"Nariyuki." She said while patting the space next to her, inviting him to sit with her. He did so, though unsure of what the girl was planning.

"Can you lie down for me?" She asked.

"Huh? Uhm...sure, but where?"

"On my lap of course."

"W-what?" He stuttered out in embarrassment. "A-are you sure..?"

Fumino smiled warmly.

"I'm sure."

With a tentative blush, Nariyuki did what he was told. His heart pounded in his chest as he slowly laid his head on the girl's awaiting lap. It was soft, pleasantly so, but no sooner did he come to terms with the sensation did he then feel another one just as gratifying.

In the next moment, Fumino was massaging his head.

The feeling of the girl's soft hands on his throbbing temples was euphoric; he closed his eyes and ceased all cognitive processes, submitting to the comfort offered to him.

All of his exhaustion, mishaps, concerns, were forgotten, just like that. Amazing how one simple act from the girl could dispel all the negative emotions and thoughts in Nariyuki's mind.

He quickly lost track of time, and before he knew it a good five minutes had passed. When Fumino eventually removed her hands from his head, he slowly realized in amazement that the pain that had plagued him so terribly earlier had lifted significantly.

Fumino giggled at his apparently awestruck expression. "Better?"

He nodded dumbfoundedly with his head still lying on her lap and Fumino couldn't help but smile brightly in response.

"I'm glad."

The earnesty in her voice stirred something inside him, and before he knew it he was reaching up to gently grasp the girl's left hand with the both of his.

"Thank you….Furuhashi. I don't think I've ever had anyone massage my head before," he said softly. "It...felt amazing."

Nariyuki then looked away guiltily.

"And...I'm sorry…I didn't mean to offend you by what I said earlier…about you worrying over me. It was insensitive of me to say that..."

"It's okay." She squeezed his hand comfortingly. "You didn't offend me."

He chuckled softly in response, always amazed by the girl's ability to be so forgiving for his mistakes.

"Even if I didn't, I still shouldn't have said it. In all honesty, I'm really happy that you went out of your way for me tonight..." He said before his face fell slightly. "I've been so caught up with taking care of my family for so long...that I guess...being in the receiving position..."

"I'm just not quite used to it yet..."

Especially with...how much you've already done...to be there for me...

To save me.

After he finished, he struggled to meet her gaze, afraid of the hurt that he would potentially find there.

But of course that wasn't the case.

When their eyes met again, the expression that greeted him was warm, much to his stupor, and Fumino ran her hand through his hair affectionately.

"Well it's a good thing that we have the rest of our lives for you to get used to it, don't we?" She said with a tender smile.

Nariyuki's eyes went wide at the implication, feeling another intense blush rise to his cheeks. He felt his heart melt, and with it a loving smile of his own appeared on his face, filled with ardor and admiration for the beautiful girl that was staring down at him so kindly.

'When the time is right...the promise that we made to support each other...I...I'll make it official, okay?!'

"I will." He assured her. "I promise."

Fumino nodded, still smiling.

"I know you will, and I'll always be here for you to lean on me, Nariyuki. Always..." She then rested her hand onto his cheek, and grazed it softly.

"So don't ever feel afraid to ask, okay?"

...

He was so very...very grateful.

"Thank you…Fumino."

He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind the girl's ear, and Fumino lowered her head closer to his in response. They gazed into each other's eyes, and a tinge of pink formed on both of their faces at the proximity.

She shut her eyes, and Nariyuki shut his. He leaned upward in hopes of pressing his lips against hers, but before he could-

A loud growl erupted from the the girl's stomach.

His eyes shot open and Fumino did the same. Her face turned more red than what he had witnessed the entire night so far, and before he could stop himself, Nariyuki erupted into a fit of laughter.

"I-I h-haven't eaten yet either, okay?!" Fumino explained desperately. Her voice however, was far too embarrassed for her to make a sound argument. "Just so you know, it's your fault that I haven't finished cooking dinner yet!"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry…" He said, raising his hands in surrender, still laughing softly. "But you have to admit, the timing of that was just way too funny..."

She crossed her arms and looked away with a pout.

"I'm sure you won't be saying that when I decide to only give you half of your rice omelette portion."

At the unforeseen threat, Nariyuki reeled back and got into his knees to apologize profusely. "Wait, I'm sorry! Anything but that, please!"

Fumino opened one eye, and eventually she cracked into a smile, unable to stop the giggle from escaping her lips at the endearing sight.

Following dinner, Nariyuki and Fumino had both agreed that it was in their best interests to head to bed early for the night, and the latter, in every right, had been prepared to depart to make it to the last train back to her apartment. What followed after, however, was the insistence on the boy's part for her to stay over to avoid such a commute. She had protested of course, stating that she had brought no spare clothes to change into after bathing, but once Nariyuki handed her the same green shirt and pants that she had worn during the first time she had run away from home, she had reluctantly given in to the boy's offer.

In the end, it seemed that it was inevitable. Not that she minded. She was clearly exhausted as well, and a one hour train ride this late was bound to wear her down.

Nariyuki had bathed first, per her insistence, and then she had followed. It was refreshing, and she had just now finished brushing her teeth before walking over to the bedroom where the futons were.

Unsurprisingly, the lights were still on, and of course Nariyuki was sitting up in his futon still awake as well, waiting for her to finish washing up for the night even though she had told him not to.

"Nariyuki…" She started with an admonishing look. "I thought I told you to sleep first without me..."

"I was the one that insisted that you stay over. It would be rude of me to not at least wait for you, don't you think?" He said, and afterwards, his expression turned shy as he looked away with a light blush. "And…"

"I...wanted your face to be the last thing I saw for the day."

His voice when he had spoken the last few words had barely been above a whisper, but she hadn't missed it. The fact that Nariyuki seemed so bashful over it only proceeded to bring an affectionate smile to Fumino's lips.

She turned off the lights, and then slowly but surely made her way to Nariyuki's side. His entire family usually slept in the same room as each other, and so they had plenty of extra futons to spare.

Despite this fact however, the two of them seemed to silently agree to share one together, and Fumino slipped under the covers, gravitating towards him. They were close, awfully so, and naturally Nariyuki reached across to hold her hand, in which she willingly obliged, smiling happily at the boy's familiar touch.

"Thank you for dinner tonight, Furuhashi...the rice omelette was delicious."

"You're welcome." Fumino returned with a smile. "But really it was Mizuki who sent me the recipe this morning, so make sure you thank her too when she comes back, okay?"

He nodded. "I will."

Once their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the details of each other's faces became clear, and they found each other staring into each other's eyes tenderly.

"You're so beautiful."

Fumino eyes went wide at the unexpected compliment, but even more surprising was the similar expression of shock that came from the very person who had said it. Nariyuki's face was marked with embarassment, and it became apparent to her that the words that he had just uttered had been intended to stay in his mind.

"I...just said that out loud, didn't I…?"

A smile creeped onto her face and Fumino giggled. She scooted closer, and slowly but surely, she wrapped her arms around Nariyuki's neck.

"I'm glad that you did." She said sweetly.

The boy smiled in return, bringing his arms around her waist to bring her even closer. Fumino pressed her forehead against his, and the words reserved only for him left her lips seamlessly.

"I love you, Nariyuki..." She whispered.

His eyes crinkled warmly, and as effortless as it was for him to do so…

Nariyuki responded in kind.

"I love you too, Fumino."

Sleep had never found the two of them so easily.

Nariyuki woke up to a warm body pressed against his side. It was pleasant. And he settled on that pleasantness, and ignored the few strands of blue hair in his eyes as he turned his head to the girl curled into his side. He couldn't help but smile at Fumino, whose arm was draped across his waist, head buried in the crook of his neck, making him aware of the warm breath puffing gently against his skin.

The sleep had been the one of the most refreshing rests he had had in a very long time.

Ever since the night that he had first stayed at Fumino's apartment, he had yearned for more moments to where they could be like this. It was obviously difficult with their current living situation during the school year, but now that he and Fumino had agreed to live together once they graduated, it was a desire that really seemed to be within arm's reach.

As embarrassing as it was for him to say out loud, he wasn't the least bit of afraid to admit it to himself.

He wanted every morning to be like this…

...with Fumino in his arms.

Nariyuki finally snapped out of his dreamy thoughts and realized that the girl was awake and had been staring at him the entire time.

With a very adoring smile on her face.

He returned the expression with a giggle, and reached down to move the strands of hair that fell in front of the girl's nose. "Good morning…" He said with a smile.

Fumino giggled in reply. "I would be inclined to say the same, but I believe it's already past noon, Nariyuki."

"Well...it's like you said during our call the other day...we both deserve some rest from time to time." He then brought the girl closer to his chest. "We're always overworking ourselves, afterall."

He said it with a placid tone, as if it was something obvious, but there were no other words in the world that could have made Fumino happier. He was looking out for himself—he'd included himself in the statement, and that alone made her extremely happy. Fumino bit her lip. If there was ever a time to be forward, it was now.

"I believe...there's also something else that you deserve right now."

Nariyuki blinked curiously. "S-something el-"

Before he knew it, a pair of lips were being pressed against his own, and Fumino kissed him. Nariyuki, so caught up in the sensation, was stock-still, and it took him an entire ten seconds to seemingly come back down to earth, but once he did, he closed his eyes, and kissed back just as fervently.

It was passionate, surprisingly so, but the two of them continued willingly, allowing themselves to tread into the unknown. Nariyuki opened his mouth slightly, and Fumino did so too, and the kiss became even deeper. Melting into the other's loving embrace, their hands seeked something to hold onto, and Fumino grasped on desperately to Nariyuki's neck, and pressed herself further into the boy's warmth, gasping softly at the new-found pleasure.

Nariyuki's mind went blank, and he was about to completely let go of all self control, until-

"We're back...are you awake, Nari-"

Mizuki was standing frozen at the door of the room, staring at the two of them.

The silence reverberated in a way that could only be described as deafening.

Fumino jumped away from Nariyuki like a rocket as her heart beat wildly in her chest. She could practically feel the aura of hostility emanating from the younger girl, and she knew that if she didn't at least try to clear things up, she would be stuck on Mizuki's bad side for god knows how long.

Nariyuki beat her to the punch and spoke up for her, apparently sharing the exact same thought process.

"M-Mizuki, I-It's not what it looks like! It was my idea to let her stay over anyway, so please don't get mad at Furuha-"

Mizuki smacked Nariyuki upside the head to interrupt him.

"How dare you try to seduce my precious sister in law while I'm not here! I expected better from you, Nariyuki!"

"W-w-what?" Nariyuki uttered speechlessly. The uncharacteristic scolding was one thing, but the unforeseen labeling had stirred up an entire different level of embarrassment. "S-Sister in law? W-we're not...I'm not-"

"Are you okay, Fumino?" Mizuki said with concern, once again not letting her brother finish as she made her way to Fumino's side. "He didn't do anything crazy to you, did he?"

Fumino also found herself terribly confused. She had never seen the girl scold Nariyuki so openly before, and in a strange turn of events, it was somehow her being protected for and obsessed over.

'I-Is this because of our call yesterday..?'

"N-no...he didn't...do anything crazy." She answered with a thin smile. Which wasn't a lie. Afterall, it was her who had initiated their...heated kiss.

Thankfully enough, Mizuki seemed satisfied with the answer. "That's a relief."

In the next moment, there was a ruckus behind them, and two young kids burst into the room in excitement, followed by their mother.

"Big sister Fumino!" Hazuki and Kazuki ran up to her legs and hugged her tightly.

"Ah, Fumi-chan!" Hanae said in recognition before walking up to her and taking her hands into her own. "It's been much too long since you've visited! You're as gorgeous as always!"

"Ah...uhm...t-thank you..." Fumino said in a fluster. She turned her gaze towards Nariyuki with a pleading look, unsure what to do with the sudden onslaught of attention, but the boy simply laughed in amusement, finding the whole scene much too heartwarming.

He was so used to being the one doted on, but it appeared there was a new favorite in the household.

And quite frankly speaking…

Nariyuki didn't mind one bit.

A/N: Thanks for reading! This was mostly a fluff chapter, but I hope you guys found it enjoyable regardless. As always, feel free to leave a review, fav, or follow. Your support is always very much appreciated.

Until Next Time!